Sound creates ‘more bang per buck’

Diarmid Moncrieff, a consultant with the London based United Radio, recently adressed a gathering at Radio Rocks 2, an event organised by Radio City in the Capital.

In what Moncrieff called the ‘colour of sound’, he talked about how radio, which is a totally auditory medium, can be used effectively to increase sales and brand recall.

He compared sound on radio with colour on other media such as print and television. According to him, in a visual medium, most consumers bypass products believing them to be the same, whereas in sound, the necessary emotional appeal can be created for brand association and, hence, sales.

Moncrieff said that as a medium, radio is omnipresent and, unlike television, it is not restricted to a certain place. This puts radio in an advantageous position as it provides flexibility in consuming the media.

He added that what till date was considered a shortcoming of radio could actually work in its favour. Moncrieff said that the lack of the visual factor can be overcome if the message is kept simple. He advised the right mix of sound, music and sound effects in creating a captivating advertising message that did more than just deliver rational messages.

Just like ‘visual branding’ and creating eye-catching logos are necessary for press advertisements, a sonic branding mechanism is essential for radio. Moncrieff explained, “Radio advertising is about more bang per buck.”

In fact, Moncrieff introduced the theory of sonic branding in the UK and he has worked with leading brands and agencies for the past 15 years, bringing about remarkable sales for various brands.

He recalled the time when radio in England bagged a mere 2 per cent of the national advertising spends. But today, radio contributes to about 7 per cent of the total media spends.

He feels that the situation is just looking up for India, and this country could learn from the mistakes made by the international radio community.

Commercial radio came to France and the US much before commercial television gained ground there. It was crucial in bringing in popularity and recall for daily household brands.

He said that being a ‘repetitive medium’, radio helped towards this end. Brands such as Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola and Gillette were born on radio.

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